Part of the Hunt
by Poseiden's Wrath
Summary: This is a adoptation of the Story Part of the Hunt from MikhaelK, so the first 12 Chapters are the same. Percy becomes a god after 2 years of training and a break up from Annabeth. He becomes a guardian of the hunt. - Pertemis
1. A New Member Suggestion

**A New Member Suggestion**

**Artemis' POV **

This was a complete nuisance. Yet _another_ man has been added to our godly family. If you ask me, I personally think that Olympus has more than enough Gods and needs more Goddesses. But here we are, with a new sea god. Percy.

He had rejected godhood before, but his father had insisted he still keep training so he did. Unfortunately, while he was there for two years Annabeth couldn't wait much longer for him so she simply sent him a letter stating she wanted to end the relationship. She had decided to remain single and seek out more knowledge.

Percy was extremely heartbroken after that, and it shocked me that for the first time in Greek history, a woman was the one that had broken a man's heart. Although I admired Annabeth for being strong and deciding to stay single.

Over the next two years, Percy became stronger and a better warrior. With his strengths, he warded off an attack aimed at Poseidon's palace. As a result, Poseidon recommended his son become a god and knowing how skilled Percy was, Zeus accepted the request.

Since the boy didn't have Annabeth tying him down to earth, he was open to godhood and became the God of Waves, pretty catchy if I do say so myself. At the moment, we were deciding were Percy would reside at a meeting in the Council Room.

"I think he should just stay with me like he always has. He's my son for one thing as well as a great guardian." Poseidon said.

"No, no. He has spent four years with you Poseidon. It is time that he knows what it's like to be a real god and live on Olympus." At once everyone started shouting their opinions except for Athena and I. Percy just sat awkwardly in a throne in the middle of the U-shaped table.

"I have a recommendation, and I'm sure that it can benefit us all." Aphrodite spoke up. Of course with looks like hers, everyone immediately became quiet and listened to what the love goddess had to say. "I believe that Percy should reside with Artemis in The Hunt as a guard and a warrior."

"WHAT?" Percy and I screamed at the same time. I had shot up from my seat. "That's utterly absurd! I shall not have a man in The Hunt!"

"I can't be in the same place as _her_! For one, she hates my guts, and second she's probably going to use me as target practice!" That wasn't actually a very bad idea. I'm sure the girls would like they're new 'target'.

"Actually… Aphrodite makes a valid point." Zeus said in her defense.

"Father! You cannot really be agreeing to this! I have a reputation to uphold!" He smiled at me, understandingly.

"Artemis, I know how you must feel about this. But I for one think it's a brilliant idea. This can assure me that you're going to be safe."

"I have always been safe! There is no need to give me a guardian!" Zeus held up a hand to quiet me down. I sighed and sat back down in my throne.

"Still it haunts me to remember the time you were taken captive and had to hold up the sky. Don't you remember how Percy took the burden from you and allowed you to fight?"

The memory game flooding back to me. After that moment, I saw Percy as a different man. He actually cares about others before himself and would do anything to protect someone. I glanced at him and saw that he was running a hand through his black, unruly hair then noticed the streak of gray hair. It was his souvenir from carrying the sky.

"Very well, Father. If you insist." At that, the meeting was dismissed. Aphrodite was so going to be dead for planning up this horrid idea.


	2. Not A Good Idea

**Not a good idea**

**Percy's POV**

I really should've just stayed human. It would be a thousand times better than being demoted to becoming a warrior or guardian, or whatever I am for Artemis. She hates my guts, like she does to all men, but if you ask me, she should hate me less than she does other males since we're close to getting along.

I couldn't get Zeus to get me out of this situation, I replayed the discussion we had after the meeting was dismissed and I stayed behind for a small talk with him.

_"Lord Zeus, not to be rude or anything, but I doubt that I would make a good guardian for Artemis. Besides, she doesn't really need one with strength like hers."_

_"I know that she can handle herself very well, but you becoming her guardian was only an excuse for what I really have in store for you, young sea god."_

_"Wait, what exactly do you mean?" I asked as he started to walk off. He turned back around and winked with a small smile._

_"You're going to find out soon enough." And at that, our meeting had ended._

Since he didn't really help me out, I decided to see what dad could do about it. It would be better to just stay in his palace instead of being in my own personal Hades with the Huntresses and Artemis. But to my disappointment, he didn't help all that much either…

_"Oh come on dad! You can't be serious about me living the rest of my never-ending life with Artemis! It's worse than being thrown to the kraken!" He chuckled and leaned back in his throne."_

_"I'm sorry Percy, but I actually think it's a great idea. You can learn a lot from her and besides, you won't spend that much time with her. As soon as you become a major god, you can do whatever you please."_

_"Wait, but that could take years, it might not even happen!"_

_"It will happen, for that I have no doubts. Now just go along with what has been decided and keep up your training, you still have much to learn." He didn't say more, just got up from his seat and walked out of the throne room while ruffling my hair on his way out._

And with no one else to turn to for help, I decided to give it a rest. If I try to argue with Zeus's decision too much, I'm going to end up with a lightning bolt right to the butt.

In my moment of stress, the only thing I could do to calm down was take a soak in the enormous Olympus pool. It surprised me that they even had one. It was probably the largest pool in the universe, with gold rimming, white marble tiles, and amazingly clean water.

I laid my head back, closed my eyes, and let myself get lost in my own thoughts. It felt nice to finally relax after the four years of non-stop training I had to put up with to get where I am today.

Poseidon taught me how to control water perfectly and keep it under control, as well as some better swordsmanship, but I barely got any time to myself.

Right as I felt myself drifting off into sleep, I sensed a shadow looming over me. I opened one eye to find Aphrodite looking down at me in a small, pink bikini. I bet I was as red as a tomato at the sight, but immediately turned away.

"Mind if I join you, handsome?" She asked with a smile.

"Nah, come on in." I rested my head back on the side of the pool but started feeling smooth, soft skin pushing against me. I turned around to see Aphrodite giving me her Hollywood-grin. "Anything I can help you with?" I asked smiling back and moving away from her a little.

"Well, I was just kind of wondering how you feel about my whole Artemis and you idea."

"Wait that was all your idea? I'm not exactly grateful for it I guess."

"I do take full credit for it, though I did run it by Zeus and your father to see if they approved. My encouraging reasons to go along with it also helped them think it was a good plan." I stared at her, baffled.

"But, how come you want me to work with Artemis? In case you don't know, we're not really on good terms."

"That's the fun of it, and the exact reason I decided to get involved." With those words, she winked at me and started to get out. "I'm really not much of a swimmer, catch you later." She pecked me on the cheek and walked off. Was she up to something or is it just me?

**Artemis' POV**

"Aphrodite! What's the meaning of this?" I called out to the love goddess as she seemed to be strolling back from the pool area.

"Artemis, what a pleasure to see you but what exactly do you mean?"

"I mean your idiotic idea of making that _man_ come into The Hunt? You know as well as anyone that I won't allow it without a fight."

"Sorry Ms. Love Sucks, but that's what's been agreed. I can't do anything about it. Besides, he's not that bad. Actually, I think I'm rather fond of him myself." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Is there any god on Olympus you're _not_ fond of?" She laughed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Well, they've all got good looks so I don't know what I can say to that. But I can say that Percy's by far my favorite."

"Just tell me why you even thought that bringing Percy into The Hunt was a good idea." I said sternly.

"Oh, you'll find that out soon enough. Who knows, you might even have fun with him"

"_Me_ have fun with _him_? Have you gone mad? First of all, he's not even supposed to be in the hunt, second, I don't exactly like him, and third, he couldn't shoot an arrow to save his life."

"Alright, whatever you say. But just so you know, he's going to end up with you and your huntresses one way or another He could really teach you a thing or two about enjoying life"

I gave her a skeptical look. I've had fun before, that's for sure. I have had some good times and I don't need a man to teach me anything, but I must admit that I'm on duty most of the time and not the jolliest person.

"We'll just see how this all turns out." I said as I stormed away, frustrated at the smirk Aphrodite had on her face.

"Let's just hope that you don't murder him in under a week." She called after me. That could be arranged, but it all depends on how he turns about to be. I don't really need a guardian or a male warrior but I think he could make an interesting slave... oh I mean servant.


	3. Death Sentence Begins

**Death Sentence Begins**

**Percy's POV**

Well, all I can say is that Artemis and I still aren't getting along well. You'd think that she'd atleast act a little differently with me since I'm practically the only man that knows her well. Then again, I don't really think I know her at all. Artemis isn't really open with anyone, not even her own dad.

Since I couldn't try to weasel my way out of this whole deal, I was being escorted by Hermes to Artemis's camp. Even right before I left, I tried to convince Zeus that I'm not meant for this job but that didn't go so well. Actually, it went worse than last time since he was in a bad mood.

_"Lord Zeus, must I really do this? I mean let's face it, those girls won't exactly like me and neither does Artemis."_

_"Do you have anything against Artemis personally?"_

_"Uh, no it's nothing like that. I just don't feel that it's in our best interests to get to know eachother." Zeus obviously wasn't in the mood for this. Today must be one of his rotten days._

_"Are you saying that you don't wish to protect my daughter? I know very well that she can take care of herself, but this assures me that she's safe and this can benefit you too."_

_"How? I'm not sure if you've noticed, but she'd rather eat her own foot off rather than letting a man into The Hunt, especially for protection purposes." __Zeus shook his head._

_"I know that she holds her head high with pride of not needing a male by her side, but this isn't about that. This is more for you than it is for her. Now quit trying to avoid what's been decided and go!"_

After that I was pretty sure that it was impossible to get out of this. Surprisingly, even Artemis didn't argue about it as much as I thought she would. Actually, she stopped fighting the decision after the meeting. I guess she knew that once Zeus makes up his mind, nothing can change it.

Hermes was guiding me through the woods of California where The Hunt was currently residing. It amazes me how they can travel everywhere without paying for anything, or maybe they have their own means of transportation.

"It won't be that bad Percy. I know Artemis can be more… frightening than other gods and goddesses, but she'll treat you nice enough." Hermes said in another attempt to comfort me.

"Of course she's going to treat me nicely. Like how she'd treat a dog. Just watch, they're going to use me as a slave or something!"

"Well there's a strong possibility of that, but atleast they won't be as cruel as the Amazons." I shivered as I remembered the beautiful, dangerous tribe of women warriors, daughters of Ares. They would deform the right arm of their men slave, disabling them from battle.

"Gee, thanks for the pep talk, although I'm more worried about the huntresses than Artemis herself. Last time I met them, we didn't get along so well."

"Don't worry about them. I bet Artemis already told them not to shoot you. But just stay on guard, they can get pretty dangerous."I sighed and ruffled my hair.

"Let's just see what happens. If you hear me screaming then call for help, better yet, tell everyone I'm not coming back alive." Hermes chuckled.

"Take it like a god, Percy. Now if you just walk straight forward, through those trees, you'll meet your death." I rolled my eyes and nodded him a goodbye. Guess it really was time to face my death.

**Artemis's POV**

"Girls, I know you aren't very fond of the decision the council meeting has come to, but I assure you that the God of Waves is better than a large majority of men, who knows, we might even like him." I tried to soothe the Huntresses but they still weren't happy about the set-up. It was a mutual feeling.

"As far as I know, Percy's the God of Waves, so I guess it won't be so bad. It'll be fun to see how much he's changed." Thalia commented. At that, the Huntresses stopped whining their objections.

"Percy… is he the one that risked his life for Bianca and Zoe and saved Lady Artemis?" Christy, one of my huntresses, asked. Thalia nodded her head.

"Now can we all just give him a break? I can promise that Percy's the best man you'll ever find. Besides, he might even make a good servant." Thalia and I smiled at eachother knowingly. We had both agreed to tease him a little and make him into our little maid.

Just then I heard a rustling in the trees. Looks like the topic of our conversation had just arrived. I nodded at the huntresses to notify that he was here and rushed my way through the trees to his position. Percy peeked out from the thick growth of leaves and bushes. He looked wary, and on-guard, probably thinking that we were going to have an ambush planned for him.

I jumped down from the branches of the tree I was standing, landing directly in front of him. He jumped back and looked ready to draw out his sword, or pen, as some would say. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Calm down. I'm not going to attack you, unless you don't follow some ground rules."

"And what are these _ground rules_?" He asked with a grim expression.

"For starters, you do whatever I say whenever I say it. Treat the huntresses with respect, don't talk back, listen to me when I'm speaking, do work when instructed, and stay in your limits."

"You're making it sound like you hired me as a butler."

"Not exactly, slave is more like it." I had a devious smirk on my face which he responded to with a scowl.

"I knew it! You certainly aren't going to make this easy for me. I'm starting to think that this is going to be my own personal underworld." I forced back a laugh. "Besides, I thought I was supposed to be your guardian or whatever, not a busboy."

"Let's just say you're technically guarding me by doing all the work I need to be done. If the Huntresses start appreciating you, which I doubt, I can consider having you as a warrior. Just in case, I'll get a huntress uniform in your size."

"Are you kidding? Under no circumstances am I wearing a skirt, especially not a girl's one. I'm not very comfortable with breezy outfits." I couldn't help but smile at his comment.

"Very well then, let's just see how this arrangement turns out." I led him through the large trees and back to the camping site. The Huntresses had evil little smiles on their faces, looks like I taught them well. This was going to be interesting.


	4. Torture

**Torture**

**Percy's POV **(Three weeks later)

I doubt anyone has ever done laundry for the huntresses, and it's not exactly the most fun. Neither is cooking for over twenty girls, fighting off eight hellhounds by yourself, and sharpening over a thousand arrows. Exciting right? Not. This was a living Hades for me, but on the bright side, I was keeping my cool.

I escaped far outside the camp area, just to get some alone time and think about how I got into such a horrible position. Maybe it wasn't too late to run back to dad's palace but he'd probably just send me back here. He said that I'd get training here, but what kind of training is this? I'm being forced to be a slave, next thing you know, they're going to start whipping me.

"Hey Seaweed brain, you didn't stop by to say hello?" I turned around to see Thalia sauntering over to me. She looked exactly the same as she did last time we met. She wore that same old punk jacket with the different band buttons, which didn't go well with the huntress uniform and lieutenant tiara.

She took a seat next to me on the grass and leaned against the tree behind us. This place had a great view of a large, peaceful lake that seemed to go on forever. It was probably around six o'clock by now, and I noticed how visible the stars were here compared to New York.

"Ha, haven't heard that name in a while. Nice to see you again Pinecone face, sorry I wasn't able to visit I was too busy being used for free labor.

"Same-old, sarcastic Percy, and if you call me that again I'm going to kick you so hard that you'll reach Olympus." Ouch, that sounded painful.

"Wow, you're becoming more like Artemis each day aren't you? That's just great, now I have to deal with two of you guys." Thalia smirked.

"Don't worry, eventually you'll get used to doing all of this and it'll be natural for you.

I just sighed. If this is how it's like to be a god, I would take it all back, even if it meant having no life and nothing to do. Thalia's smug smile wiped off her face and was replaced by a sympathetic look.

"Hey, I was just kidding. How about this, you still do some work, but I'll convince Artemis to go easier on you, try to get along with the Huntresses. It's possible for them to like you."

"Oh really? Then explain why all the arrows were aimed at me when their targets were all the way on the other side of the field." She stifled a laugh.

"Well, about that… we decided to joke around. It's not every day that we see a man here. Besides, they could've easily shot you if they wanted to so they were just having some fun."

"Geez, thanks for the nice welcoming party. What's next? Will I be forced to jump into the cold lake naked?"

"Sorry about that Percy. It was just a source of entertainment. We don't really have TVs or computers here. You're even better than cable." She got up and started to leave. "Oh and to be honest, you look pretty hot as a god, Annabeth doesn't know what she missed."

I've gotten the 'she doesn't know what she lost' talk many times before, but it felt good to hear it again. It's nice to know that I have such good friends.

I smiled at her. It didn't really hurt me anymore to hear Annabeth's name or even think about her. I guess she broke my heart so bad that I'm over her.

"Thanks for the compliment. Now go and try to convince Artemis to cut me some slack. If she says no, I'm making a run for it." She rolled her eyes, and left me sitting there gazing up at the stars. Let's just hope I'm not a servant tomorrow.

Well, the next day wasn't exactly simpler for me. Artemis did have me doing less work. Instead, the huntresses started playing "harmless" pranks. But if you ask me, commanding a herd of wild stags to stampede and chase me literally a mile away from camp, isn't really my idea of 'going easier on me.'

Eventually I lost them and headed back to camp were the demon girls had the most innocent faces on them but I caught them giving me evil smiles. How was I supposed to get along with them? They're as bad as Kronos's army.

I spotted Thalia sitting on a stump and shining her shield, Aegis. But just my luck, there happened to be a trap in her direction. I wasn't looking where I was going and stepped into a rope knotted in a circle that grabbed my ankle and held me upside down from a tree branch. Typical trick should've seen it coming.

I heard the girls giggling and Thalia was trying hard not to burst into laughter and tears. The blood felt weird rushing to my brain like that. I heard a beautiful yet taunting laugh which belonged to Artemis. She was walking towards me in twelve-year old form, but in my position she looked upside-down.

"My, my, someone isn't used to the outdoors huh? Even the simplest animal could've seen that trap, it surprises me that you didn't" I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm from New York; this nature lifestyle isn't something I'm used to so this caught me off guard." I said ushering to the rope holding me by one leg. It was strangely fun not seeing things right-side up.

"Interesting, well if that's the case I don't think you should be our slave anymore." The huntresses whined. "I'll have you do work every once in awhile, but other than that, you'll have to go through some wilderness training.

"Wow, that sounds nice and all, but I'm not looking forward to getting used as a human punching bag." Artemis had a devious smirk on her face, this didn't seem good.

"I'll go easy on you; don't worry about your pretty little face." She walked over to me with a spear, and I shut my eyes closed, thinking she'd stab me with it. Instead, she slashed through the rope causing me to fall on my head into the dirt.

"Wake up early tomorrow, you've got a lot to learn." With that she swiftly disappeared into the trees. Thalia came over to me with her lips tightly closed in a smile.

"Go ahead, laugh it up." Right as I told her it was ok to crack up at my misery, she held her sides and was in a fit of non-stop laughing.

"I can't believe you fell for that! Even a bunny could've seen it coming."

"Yeah, yeah I know 'a god fell for a trap made for animals, how hilarious'. By the way, I thought you said she'd be easier on me."

"She _is_ going easier on you. Trust me, training is a lot nicer than the chores you're doing." I rubbed the back of my neck and stood up.

"Well what about the girls. It doesn't look like the hunters and I are going to get along anytime soon, let alone like eachother."

"Percy, you can be such an idiot. Just wait and they'll eventually like you. Who knows, maybe even Artemis will, it's hard not to admire you since you're not like other men." Oh my gods, if all women are this confusing, I'm staying single for the rest of eternity.


	5. Archery Practice

**Archery Practice**

**Percy's POV**

Well, I can't say that my morning went well considering that my sleeping bag was sent afloat in a canoe along with me in it. I was woken up by a bird pecking on my nose, then standing up only to find myself in the middle of the lake. It caught me by surprise, so I ended up falling into the water, forgetting that I could've kept myself dry.

I dragged myself back to shore, dripping wet and wondered who did it. A few huntresses walked by and giggled then high fived eachother. I guess I know the culprit now.

"Percy, where have you been? I've been looking for you all morn-" Artemis stopped short when she saw me. "Looks like someone slept with the fishes." She had a smug smile on her face, which I responded to with a scowl.

"Whatever, let's just start the training so I can start doing the housework again."

"That's the spirit." She led me into the open field used for archery practice. "Now, first things first, you have to learn to shoot an arrow." She handed me a bow and arrow. I started to hold it into shooting position, but Artemis slapped my hand. "Idiot, before you even try shooting, learn to hold it right."

"You're just the greatest person to be around you know that?" I said sarcastically. She smacked the back of my head then took out her own bow and arrow and held it in a perfect stance. It looked as though she was some warrior in a painting, ready to shoot. I tried imitating her but accidently let go of the arrow. It flew through the air to who knows where. Suddenly, an arrow was flying back at me from the same direction. Even though I tried to run it nailed me right in the butt. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" I yelled as I ran around holding my bottom in pain.

"Y-you must've thrown it n-near o-one of the huntresses." Artemis stammered because she was trying hard to maintain her composure but was on the verge of rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter.

"Ah! Get it out! Why are they so frigging evil?" Artemis glowered at me.

"It's self-defense, don't call my huntresses evil! It's your gender that's the one at wrong." I pulled the arrow out and yelped in pain, good thing it wasn't too deep that would've left a mark.

"Stop with the stupid prejudice! You can't judge a whole race just because of the actions of a few. And yet I wondered why you're still single." I bit my tongue as soon as I said that. When I dared to turn around to face Artemis, all humor had left her face only to be replaced by anger.

"I'm single because I choose to be! Your kind can't be trusted. I just made you an exception since you're actually a _real_ man." Wow, she actually straight up complimented me and didn't follow it up by an insult. See what I meant when I said women are confusing? Artemis realized what she said, but didn't say anything more about the subject. "First day of practice and you've already managed to hurt yourself. Go patch up in the infirmary."

I walked back to the camp the best that I could with the pain in my ass. Did I hurt Artemis's feelings? Does she have any? Oh what am I saying, of course she does but she chooses not to show them. I thought about going back and saying sorry but knew better of it. When Artemis calmed down I would go back or else I'd get shot somewhere else and let's just hope it won't be my jewels…

My mind was racing with all sorts of questions and answers to why Artemis thought I was a man and not really a boy anymore. The first reason that came to mind was because of the time I found and rescued her from the Titans then took the sky from her so she could fight. After that day, she stopped calling me a boy and started noticing me as a man. But how come she became sour as soon as I joined The Hunt? Probably because I'm a male and no matter how much she appreciated me she wouldn't like the fact that her father sent her to protect me and join her all-girls Hunt. What was I supposed to do?

**Artemis's POV**

I didn't exactly mind Percy asking why I wasn't in a relationship. I've never trusted men since I was six, so not having a husband, or even a boyfriend doesn't faze me at all. What really got to me was how I complimented him. I've said to him before that I think he's a man, but not a _real_ man, it changed things. He knows that I don't hate him, only dislike him sometimes although I don't exactly know the reason.

I'm not supposed to let myself be open to others, especially not him but I let him know anyways that I thought good of him. Why? I don't know, probably because I saw promise and achievement in him. Unlike the whole other race of males he got to me in some way…

I shook away the thoughts and stood up when I heard Percy coming back. He isn't exactly subtle when it comes to walking through woods. I guess training for that will have to come later on.

"Do we still have to do this? I can't feel my left butt cheek." I held back a laugh. Not cracking up at his stupidity and clumsiness is nearly impossible.

"Yes, we do. Your bottom isn't needed to learn how to shoot an arrow. Now come on, let me see you hold it, and try to do it right this time." He groaned as he got into position, held up the bow, but yet again he accidently let it go. This time it shot a deer that wasn't very far away. Thank goodness it didn't kill it. I shook my head, placed a hand on my forehead and sighed. This was going to take a while.

We practiced well into the evening, but all Percy understood was that he needs to hold on to the arrow until he's ready, and to stand the right way when he's about to shoot. As we walked back into camp, a few huntresses were giggling at the bandage wrapped around the rear of his pants. He paid them no mind but had a scowl on his face.

"Ha-ha very funny. Do I still have to make dinner, I'm beat." He plopped down on a log and winced as his bottom hit the wood. "Ow!" I never knew that archery could take that much out of a person.

"Don't worry I managed to do it for you. Here ya go." Thalia said handing him a plate of grilled trout. In practically a few seconds, he inhaled the whole thing.

"Thanks. I'm going to go to bed. This time I'm putting a lock on my tent." He said getting up and glaring at a few huntresses who were watching him from the corner of their eyes with sneaky smiles. I'll have to find out what they're up to. As soon as Percy left, I looked at all the huntresses who innocently ate their food.

"Are you girls giving him a hard time?"

"Lady Artemis, we aren't exactly fond of him so using him for some pranks and entertainment is how we make him useful." Elisabeth said. She was a huntress from the middle ages who had deep blue eyes, a few freckles on her cheeks and hair tied in one long braid. I laughed a little and shook my head.

"Under other circumstances, I would allow this but Percy's different. He risked his life to save Zoë and myself. We owe him one. And even though I'm not happy about him being part of The Hunt, I appreciate that he's atleast trying and not chickening out like someone else would." The girls sighed, knowing that I was right and that they should give Percy a break, but they weren't exactly happy about it. I caved in as I saw the disappointment in their faces.

"Alright, well maybe you guys can play around with him every once in awhile but try to be somewhat more considerate." Their frowns instantly turned to grins. Well, even if they made his life miserable, he would get some new techniques learned out of the experience.


	6. Snap Crackle And Pop

**Snap Crackle And Pop**

**Percy's POV **(One month later)

You know what I hate most about myself? Being a softie. I can't really stand up for myself against innocent forces, such as the Huntresses. Now, I can easily fight off an army of Kronos's army, but little, immortal girls are something I cannot fight against or show any backbone to. Even when I thought I was going to break down on them and go all out with some "accidental flooding" to their camp, Thalia advised me to stay calm, let them do their thing, and deal with it while I'm here.

Before I came here, Zeus told me to not use any of my godly powers around Artemis, mostly with fear that I would try and do something to her out of anger, which I've thought about a few times but kept my cool. But who has the right mind to attack her? That's practically begging for death.

Today, I decided to use some water techniques anyways to do the laundry. It's a lot easier to just swirl clothes around in a large bucket of water than scrubbing them by hand. After that, I was on my way to the archery fields but made the mistake of taking a short cut and walking upon a group of huntresses cleansing a group of wild stags. I recognized them, Elisabeth, Alex, and Diana. Elisabeth was the first to spot me as a devilish smirk appeared on her face. Not good.

She whistled, and next thing I knew the beautiful, majestic animals that were happily grazing on grass only moments ago, stampeded right at me. I tried to lose them but they just kept following me with their large antlers pointed at my already injured backside. Thankfully, I ran pretty fast and found myself running a long distance but they were still on my heels. I clawed my way up a tree and hid there while they thought I was still running. With a small chuckle, I leaned back against the tree and tried to catch my breath.

Right when I thought all was quiet and peaceful some small, furry animal jumped on my face and clawed me like a crazy demon from Hades. I fell out of the tree and fell flat on my stomach as I pulled the creature off of me. It turned out to be a squirrel, a very, very angry squirrel. It fidgeted around like it was having a seizure, so I let it go but not without shooting him with a complimentary, large water ball.

My face was burning a little and my legs were kind of tired so I made it to the archery fields the best that I could with small scratch marks on my face, twigs in my hair, and ripped up shorts with a dirty, white t-shirt. Artemis was standing there still with her arms crossed over her chest and foot tapping. She turned around to look at me and opened her mouth to speak. Instead of the lecture about "being punctual" that I was expecting, she burst into laughter. After letting it all out and taking a few deep breaths, she looked me up and down while shaking her head.

"Tsk, tsk. It's not so hard to get here without tripping over yourself you know that right?" Now, I could've ratted out the girls but I wanted to get on their good side, if that was even possible, so it wouldn't help to let their leader know about it.

"Mother nature just hates me. Did you know that squirrels are extremely territorial, and that stags charge like buffalo?" She was very amused by the look on her face

"Of course I did. Basic nature survival skills, will I have to teach you those too?"

"_Please_ do." She nodded and ushered me on for some more, monotonous training.

If I thought yesterday was tough, today was even worse. It seems like the more I do this, the more easily I get tired. I keep hurting animals… and myself. Atleast I learned how to aim an arrow and shoot it almost the right distance to the target.

I was probably more worn out than yesterday because I got mauled by a rabid squirrel and chased by a herd of wild stags. Twice. Yeah, unfortunately they found me in the woods while I was looking for a lost arrow then decided to run after me until I reached Artemis who commanded them to stop. My hero.

Thalia was kind enough to get some ambrosia and nectar for me which helped a lot since I didn't have to limit the amount I took anymore. In the boredom of the moment, I decided to go out for some hiking.

"You sure you don't want me to accompany you? It seems that you get into trouble very often." Artemis offered. It was obvious that the hunt wouldn't appreciate me spending more quality time than I already do with their beloved commander so I shook my head.

"I can handle myself for a while out here. Using water to scare off some dangerous animals works you know?" With that, I was off before she could say anything more about the subject. Boy was I wrong when I said I could handle it.

Exploring the wilderness is fun and all, but it's better to do in the morning where you can see in front of you and not trip over tree roots constantly. Here's another hint, go with a buddy, specifically one that has skills outdoors because you might just get too curious then walk into, oh I don't know, a cave with a sleeping bear and bats that wake up when you scream because you hit your foot on a rock. Running away from a bear is just as fun as running from wild stags and what can I say about bats besides the fact that they make your heart beat one hundred times faster due to fear.

I couldn't find my way back to camp, but Thalia eventually came to my rescue and helped me get back. When she saw how wrecked I was she went nuts because I actually thought it was possible for me to handle myself.

My frustration only smoldered and a scowl plastered my face. Now normally, I'm a very calm, relaxed, laid-back, and live-for-the-moment guy but I was starting to think I've had enough of this. To get to my tent, I had to walk past Artemis and the girls which I was hesitant about. Artemis let out a small gasp when she saw me.

"Oh my gods, what have you done to yourself Percy?" She asked with genuine worry in her voice. Instead of saying something, I ran a hand through my hair and sighed, doing my best to ignore the huntress's rude comments about what happened.

"He probably got assaulted by the animals that we ordered to attack him. If only we could catch it on tape. " Snickered one of the girls, referring to the whole Hunt. When I heard that, my anger flared and I snapped.

"Alright here's what happened. _You_ all happened. I'm sick of your pranks, your cruelty, and most of all, your hatred for men and _me._ I've had it with all of this! If you don't like men so much, I feel the same way about women! _You're_ the ones that can't be trusted! I would know since my girlfriend left me without an explanation!" I breathed a few steamy, angry breaths to calm down as silence enveloped the tense atmosphere. "Tomorrow morning, I'm out of here and I don't give a crap what happens after that. No one has to suffer this."


	7. My First Kiss Went A little Like This

**My First Kiss Went A Little Like This**

**Artemis's POV**

My mind was baffled after what had just happened. I actually had no clue that the normally relaxed, sarcastic, and untroubled God of Waves could actually show that much anger. Normally, he's optimistic and horses around all the time like his father. My eyes glared over at my hunters who hung their heads in embarrassment, knowing that I was about to punish them with a lecture. I stood up and got into commander mode.

"Girls, what did I tell you about going easy on him? I'm one-hundred percent positive that having all of the wild attack him isn't what I meant. I'm truly ashamed of you. Percy is not selfish or greedy like others. I can assure you that he would risk his life to save all of us. Does that not make him worthy for our respect?"

"We understand he deserves better Lady Artemis, but he's a-"

"A man, I know." I finished for Teresa, a blonde haired huntress with deep blue eyes from the Civil War time period. "But, he is much, _much_ more different than any man that's ever lived. He is the first hero in Greek history that hasn't deceived his love in some way. Sadly for him, it's the other way around." A few of the girls gasped.

"Who was she? He mentioned her just now." Elisabeth said. No one outside of Olympus and Camp Half-Blood knew about the two of them or what happened.

"A daughter of Athena and a brilliant one at that." Shock came over their faces as they imagined a daughter of Athena and son of Poseidon being together. "She left him, but without much of an explanation. Percy, being the man that he is, granted her wish, knowing well that he should give her the freedom she wants. Without any other place to go, he became a god and I understand how his trust in women must have decreased. All of you have tortured him since he came here which didn't make matters better." Guilt washed over them in torrents, it was clear on their faces. "Now, I'm going to talk to him and if he decides to stay, will you girls treat him like you treat eachother?"

"Yes, Lady Artemis." They responded simultaneously. I smiled at them then walked over in the direction where Percy had stormed off.

I got to his tent then peeked inside to see what he was up to. He just lay there in his sleeping bag, staring at nothing in particular with his duffel bag fully packed next to him. Instead of asking to enter, I just walked right in. A serious talk was more important than using etiquettes. He noticed my presence then his apathetic expression turned to a grimace.

"What now and how come you aren't in kid form?" I stood there with my arms crossed over my chest, looking down at him. He probably didn't notice that I was like this before he exploded.

"I just came back from a meeting on Olympus. I prefer to be there in older form. As for the reason I'm here, we need to talk."

"I'm not up for it." He turned around so that his back was facing me. I wasn't going to take that disrespect from a minor god, so I forced him to flip back over with my foot.

"You have to. I'm not leaving here until we discuss this thoroughly." Percy looked at me for a minute before sighing.

"Fine, but are there any animals with you, especially not a squirrel?"

"No, no animal here."

"Alright then, shoot." I sat down on the end of sleeping bag; this would probably take a while. If I were him, it would take forever to get someone to talk me out of leaving.

"Percy, I apologize for the actions of the Hunt and even myself. I will admit that I was even looking forward to using you as a slave but it just didn't seem right after all you've been through. The huntresses understand their mistake, and have promised to treat you with more dignity. Would you consider staying?"

"Artemis, you have no idea how evil they are. I bet under their hair they've got little horns and considering what they've done to me, forgiving them will take a while. Ever been chased by wild stags, bats, and bears all in one day? Fun huh?" I would've murdered him on the spot for talking like that about my huntresses, but I really didn't have a clue what they did to him, so he couldn't be blamed.

"Percy, they've been raised to hate men with a passion, they don't know you the way I do, so accepting you took a while for them as well as some explaining. I'm confident now that they've approved of you and if they even dare to try anything else, I'll take care of it personally."

"But why exactly should I stay here with a bunch of girls, when I can be out on Olympus or with Poseidon? Is there really anything to lose if I decide to leave?"

"Yes, actually there is. Your father wants you to become a major god, and to do that you have to be strong, intelligent, and most importantly, a great warrior. You can't really become a great warrior until you learn basic skills as well as hand-to-hand combat. Even I can defeat you like that in under three seconds."

"Are you trying to say that I'm weaker than you? I would take you on but I can't hit girls." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh please. That's just an excuse to weasel your way out of demoralizing yourself when I win. You can easily lose in a hand to hand combat battle."

"Hey, what do you mean 'when you beat me'? You don't think I have a chance?"

"Ha, I can defeat you anytime, anywhere, blindfolded, and with my hands tied behind my back." I scoffed.

"That's some big talk. You want to show me if you can actually walk the walk?" He challenged as he got up and ushered me outside in front of the lake. His normal personality seemed to be coming back, so I just had to keep this up.

"Of course I can, you have any doubts?" We walked outside and stood in front of eachother.

"Actually I don't think you can beat me at all, let alone make me fall-" I didn't let him finish his sentence. Instead, I crouched down and swung my leg under him causing the "big-shot" to fall to the ground with a loud thud.

"You were saying?" He rubbed the back of his head in pain as he stood up.

"That was cheating! I wasn't ready!"

"Are you ready now?"

"Yeah, why?" I flew up into the trees, landed on his shoulders, and pressed my thumb hard into his neck, crushing an important nerve that temporarily paralyzes someone. It was a secret technique I had learned over the years. Percy fell backwards into the lake. I laughed at his loss.

"Not so tough now are you? That's what happens when you underestimate the goddess, Artemis." I said with pride, but as the moments passed I worried about what had happened to him.

He couldn't possibly have sunk; he was a God of the Sea. Then again, Thalia was a daughter of Zeus but had a fear of heights which I swore not to tell anyone about. Right as I was about to jump in after him, two arms reached up from the water and pulled me deep down, not giving me enough time to scream or try to escape. At first panic overwhelmed me, but I heard that all too familiar, whole-hearted chuckle from beneath the water. I swam down and tackled him.

As soon as I gave him a good round of beating for scaring the Hades out of me, we swam to the shore. He took of his now dripping shirt and wrung it out and put it back on. In all honesty, I have to admit that he had an amazing body. Perfectly chiseled eight-pack, with perfect sized muscles-oh my gods what am I saying. Let's just say he looked like one of those Abercrombie models that Aphrodite always talked about.

We sat down on the pier with our legs hanging over the edge and lightly touching the water as we looked out at the beautiful nighttime sky. The stars shimmered like diamonds in the black darkness that enveloped them. The full moon shone brightly down on us giving off an odd romantic atmosphere that I really didn't want there.

"Your reaction was hilarious. I can't believe you actually got scared when I pulled you down." Percy snickered, breaking the silence.

"I'll get more revenge for that eventually. Beating the cockiness out of you wasn't enough." We stayed quiet for a little while longer. "Are you staying? If you leave, there is no one stopping you." He was hesitant with his answer.

"I guess if the girls really feel bad about it I'll accept their apology. Forgive and forget ya' know?" As soon as he said that, a giant weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was probably because the new God was growing on me without me knowing it, like cancer. His foolishness and caring has especially made me see him in a new light.

"Percy…" He looked at me, showing that I had his full attention. "Do you really not have faith in women anymore? I don't get where you would come up with that absurd idea, because women are a thousand times more trustworthy than your gender."

"I know that's true, but I've just had relationship issues ever since I found out I was a demigod, mainly because of Aphrodite. She even told me before she was going to mess with my love-life. There was Calypso, the girl I could never have, Rachel, the girl that didn't even truly like me, and then Annabeth. The first girl I had real feelings for, but she didn't feel the same way. I have no regrets, and I only see her as a friend. But considering how much Aphrodite has mingled with my relationships, I don't trust women anymore. I hope that makes sense." I nodded and looked back over the water.

"One more question. How come you're so different from other men? You're selfless, loving, caring, reliable, and just an over-all, good person. Probably the only acceptable man left."

"I think it all starts with my mom. She raised me to respect women, and people around me. You see, my first stepfather was worse than Kronos in a sense and he treated my mom terribly. Seeing him hurt her everyday made me want to be the complete opposite and treat women rightfully. I just want to be a good person, friend, husband, someday a father, and even a great god."

I turned to look at him with an admiring gaze. With those words, something clicked inside of me, as though he'd just stolen my heart. We sat there looking at eachother with smiles. The moonlight seemed to glisten even brighter over us, reflecting off of his beautiful deep green eyes.

Our smiles slowly faded away as we found ourselves leaning slowly towards the other until…our lips met. It was a soft, gentle, and careful kiss. Though I hate to say it, it was also my first one. Ever. But I pushed him away causing him to fall into the water. I sprinted away from what I thought was a mistake. This broke everything I stood for, being a maiden goddess, never to be touched, loved, or hurt be any male, yet Percy had just gotten to me.

"Artemis!" He called after me but I didn't turn back, just ran until I disappeared into the trees. Going farther and farther away to forget what I had just done.

At the moment, I didn't have a single clue of what was happening, how it happened, or why I did it. If I look back on it, the moment just felt right and there was a strong, everlasting pull I felt towards him that was always there since the day we met. Even if at first, it was a relationship of hate that turned into admiration, then to affection. It seems that The God of Waves had washed over my untouchable heart and shown me…love. The question was would I let this mysterious relationship go any further than it already has?


	8. Catching The Puppet

**Catching The Puppet**

**Percy's POV**

Ever get that feeling when the world just doesn't make sense anymore, like your whole universe just turned upside-down? Well, that's exactly how I felt after I had kissed the Goddess of The Moon. Just remembering it makes me feel awkward inside. Can you imagine kissing a woman who has sworn to hate men and remain single for all eternity? What makes it even weirder is that even I had secretly promised myself to stay away from a relationship for a while, yet here I am getting wrapped in another one. But the twist is that it's with a person I never would've expected.

Now, if you know Artemis the way I do, and you had just kissed her, the best idea would be to run. Even if she didn't beat me up after we did it and she would eventually come back and kill me. To tell you the truth, I was starting to look forward to what would happen next and how the new-and-improved huntresses would treat me, but gods forbid if they ever found out about this, they'd chase me to the ends of the earth so it would just be better if I wasn't part of The Hunt anymore.

Although, the kiss wasn't _only_ my fault since Artemis seemed to want to do it too. She could've stopped me if she wanted to, but she got caught up in the moment like me. In retrospect, I don't really know how it happened.

One second we were all happy and smiling. Then I started to feel this click between us and we ended up kissing. This may sound strange, but I think Artemis and I had always had a strong connection that started ever since we met.

If I had to guess, this was the undeniable work of Aphrodite. Like I said, she's treating my love-life like her favorite toy. She was obviously cooking something and by the looks of it, there was tons of more trouble on its way.

That is, only if I let her get that far. At this point, the Love Goddesses' meddling in my relationships was getting old and pretty annoying. I decided then and there to have a little chat with her about this back on Olympus. As for The Hunt, they probably wanted me gone anyways. I bet Artemis certainly won't miss me. If I leave there's a better chance of me staying alive.

With that decision in my mind, I flashed back to Olympus to suffer the consequences of leaving my post. Even though I was practically about to wet myself thinking about how Zeus would react when he found out, I'd just have to take it like a God.

I found myself at the entrance of Olympus; it was beautiful as always, a golden, shining, utopia. I wandered around the streets looking wherever Aphrodite may be, normally I would've expected her to be at the Olympian Spa but I spotted her in the park where nymphs, satyrs, and other mystical creatures liked to play. She was sitting beside Athena. It was odd to see them next to eachother since they're polar opposites and always fighting.

Instead of sneaking up on them and screaming 'boo', like I normally would've, I decided that some eavesdropping was in order. I put up the hood of my black and white striped jacket and leaned against the street lamp nearest to them with my ears wide open.

"Must you really do this to Artemis, Aphrodite? It's probably the worst things you've ever done. And trust me, you've done many." Athena said.

"Eh, those are all things of the past. Now my main goal is to get Artemis and my little Percy together. Trust me; soon enough Ms. I-Don't-Believe-in-Love will thank me for this." The nickname she'd just given me sounded a lot like a 'My Little Pony' toy.

"Ha, thank you? She's going to skin you alive."

"Look, if I didn't do anything, in a few months they would've been heading in that direction all their own anyways. My duty was to just speed things up a little and make sure it happens."

"You know, instead of fooling around with my dear sister's life, you could've paired Percy up with yourself since you're always cooing about him" Aphrodite gasped.

"My gods! Why didn't I think of that? Hephaestus would understand if I had a minor relationship with him! Great, now that their romance is already in-progress, I can't do anything about it!" I laughed quietly to myself. Thinking that I'd heard enough and found proof that Aphrodite was behind this, I jumped over the back of the bench and plopped down in between them.

"What are we talking about ladies?" My trademark grin appeared when I saw Aphrodite flinch in surprise but Athena managed to keep her cool demeanor.

"I had a feeling you were listening."

"Wow, someone's got supersonic hearing. I'd expect as much from you since you love owls so much." I joked. She let out a small laugh. "So anyways, what is this about me and Artemis?" Aphrodite looked like she'd just been caught by the cops. Busted.

"Well… it's just that I always thought that you two had something going on but at the time you were Annabeth. With her out of the equation, I decided to play a little love game."

"I thought so. But could you mind staying out of my life now?" She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Never! The game you've created for me is the most fun I've had in centuries! Besides, if I didn't get involved, one way or another, Artemis and you would end up together." She had lost me at that point.

"Wait, what? How would that happen?"

"I had smarty-pants over here do some research for a while and it shows that there was an eighty-percent chance of you ending up with her one way or another. You could say it was destiny."

"There's no way that Artemis and I were 'meant to be'."

"Oh, but there is. You see, Annabeth had decided herself to leave you due to her… involvement with something or _someone_ else while you were training with your father. You may think that she left without an explanation, but everyone else knows exactly why she did."

"Ouch, that's not good for my self-esteem bar. She was planning on it? Who's this _someone_ _else_?" Her beautiful features turned into a mischievous smirk. Although, I still preferred Artemis's more natural look. I would never say this aloud because I'd probably be murdered by a stiletto-heel shoe, but Aphrodite puts on way too much makeup and it's not really attractive to me.

"That would happen to be confidential, but don't worry about that. The main point is that considering Annabeth would leave you, you'd end up becoming a god. Athena even said that Zeus was already considering placing you into The Hunt once you became a god. Everyone on Olympus knew it would happen soon enough." What she'd just told me confused the Hades out of me and I bet my mouth was wide open in confusion.

Could it really be that Artemis and I were _destined _to be together with or without Aphrodite getting tangled in the mess? That would mean that Annabeth would eventually cheat on me while I was away with Poseidon training. Things would probably be different if I didn't decide to learn some new techniques from dad.

"Alright then. If that's the case, I give up on women." Aphrodite and Athena gasped.

"You're going to become…homosexual? Can't say that I didn't see it coming." Athena said.

"What? No! I mean that if that's the way it's going to be, I might as well give up and become a virgin god or something."

"No! That's a complete waste of a perfectly good man! Why would you do that when Artemis is available?" I laughed. She obviously didn't get where I was going with this.

"Think about it. Artemis would _never_ admit that she has feelings for me, nor would she even give me a chance. In fact, she would probably hold a restraining order against me since she has a strict 'No-love-allowed' policy."

"That's where I step in. Because of Artemis's personality, if I didn't have anything to do with it, she would never accept you, let alone kiss you. So you'd kind of stay single for the rest of your life. You can bow down and thank me if you want."

"Well, better start thinking of someone else to pair me up with because I'm done with The Hunt." She shot up in her seat.

"What? You can't do that, I had everything planned out, Percy! I demand that you go back! Why are you even giving up?"

"Because Artemis is probably going to kill me for kissing her, even though she did it too, she'd never admit it. Plus, the huntresses were pretty cruel and I don't think I can live through that anymore." Aphrodite sighed.

"All my work for nothing." She stood there for a minute, thinking about something and when something came to mind, her optimism returned. "I know! If they come back for you, you have to return to them."

"How do I know you won't have anything to do with it?"

"I swear on the River Styx I won't involve myself in this case." I pondered this for a second then held out my hand to settle the agreement. "Why don't we seal this deal with a kiss?" She puckered her lips and I just stood there awkwardly.

"Oh my gods Aphrodite! I swear you sicken me, leave the only good man on Olympus alone. You're going to make him corrupt too." With that, Athena thankfully dragged Aphrodite away. She was probably right about her corrupting me, but I'm not really sure if I'm 'the only good man on Olympus'.

Not knowing what else to do, I decided to look for Zeus and tell him about me quitting The Hunt. If I was lucky, he wouldn't fry my butt off with a lightning bolt but I know that he'd agree to my wish if I told him I was indecisive about the choice, which I was. If Artemis and the huntresses want me back, then I'll go but if not, I'm staying on Olympus.


	9. The Start Of Complications

**The Start Of Complications**

**Artemis's POV**

I will always deny the fact that I had anything to do with the kiss that happened that night, but truth was, that somewhere deep inside I wanted it, maybe even needed it. That's something that's hard to admit, even to myself. I didn't regret it one bit even though there was small hatred I felt for Percy and myself because I believed that this was mainly his fault, and mine for falling for it.

Ever since Percy left the Hunt went to our everyday routines but it was noticeably quieter and less lively without him around. There was less laughing, they were all slightly glum, and weren't as effervescent as always. Even I wanted the lively god here. Many Huntresses had asked me where he'd gone or what had happened. I didn't know the answer to the first question, and I lied about the second one by saying that he didn't accept the apology. Unfortunately, that didn't help one bit considering that it made them feel guilty about themselves.

It broke my heart to see them that way, but what could I have done? Told them that their very idol, the woman who spares no mercy on those of who break the rules, has broken the most important one of all? I didn't think so. Instead I had decided to ask Percy to come back during the council meeting Zeus had planned for only the three of us yet I would keep my distance from him when he returned.

But I had no plans of taking the girls with me. What if Percy were to speak of that night? There wasn't a chance that I would let them go with me then have the risk of them finding out. Sadly I have no such luck and it couldn't have gone that simple.

"Where are you off to?" Thalia asked me as I changed from child form to woman form.

"To yet another, small, insignificant discussion on Olympus." She eyed me skeptically. Any normal person could've guessed I was telling the truth since I'm an impressive liar, but my lieutenants always knew better.

"It's about Percy isn't it?"

"I didn't say that." Right as I said that, a large explosion was heard from outside the tent. Apollo. We walked out only to find him as he walked out of his sun chariot, his red Maserati Spyder.

"Hey sis! Ya' miss me?" I groaned and rolled my eyes. Apollo was such an annoying person. He could be used as a lethal war weapon to pester someone to death.

"_Of course_ _I did!_ How can anyone not miss _you_?" I said with mock sarcasm.

"_Ah, I see you've picked something up from little old Percy. His sarcasm how cruel can it be? That's interesting to me, considering that you'll meet him today-_"

I stopped him by placing a hand over his mouth because one, he was starting one of his awful poems, and two I didn't want the huntresses to know but it was too late for that.

"Lady Artemis, you didn't tell us that you'd be meeting him." A huntress, Claudia, said.

"I wasn't sure if he would be comfortable meeting all of us yet."

"Comfortable or not, I think that we should go see him and apologize personally. Wouldn't that have more of an effect on his decision of coming back or not?" Thalia interjected. I had taught her too well, for she knew that I was hiding something.

"It's only between Zeus, Percy and I. If other gods cannot attend, I'm certain that you can't either."

"Oh contraire sister, Father won't mind a small audience." I glared at him and sighed in defeat. My brother certainly never made things easy for me. With no other reason to deny their request, they tagged along as well.

**Percy's POV**

Thankfully, when I told Zeus about my idea, he was furious at first, but grew to like the plan. In the end he decided to hold a meeting with Artemis and me to discuss what to do now. Personally, I was thinking that there was no way that Artemis would agree to the meeting, but surprisingly she came, and brought the whole hunt with her too. Zeus didn't seem to like that, but let it go.

I noticed that the huntresses were giving me small glances out of the corner of their eyes. I put the pieces together and thought that maybe Artemis told them that I just couldn't stand them anymore. There's no way that Artemis would tell them the truth, and I certainly wouldn't be the one to ruin Artemis's life by telling the girls about it.

After Zeus's long speech and explanation of what we were here to discuss, Artemis said, "Percy… as hard as it is for me to admit this… we want you to come back to The Hunt. Honestly, when you left it felt as though you took away the source of our cheerfulness. Also, I believe The Huntresses have something to say to you." Thalia stepped forward with the rest of them standing orderly behind her. It was funny seeing Thalia look so small.

"God of Waves… we are extremely sorry for what we have done to you and promise to never try anything like that again. It was wrong, cruel, and just plain evil." I had already accepted their apology, but seeing them say it to me personally was even better. I smiled at them.

"Now, was it so hard to say it to my face? That's all I wanted you to do." Artemis had this grateful look on her features, I played along pretty well.

"Now, have you decided to go back to The Hunt Perseus Jackson?" Zeus questioned.

"Yes sir." I replied with a nod. He rose from his throne.

"That was rather short. Very well, meeting dismissed. Percy, you are now officially and permanently a member of The Hunt." When he said that, I started wondering if I would regret going back, but that didn't matter to me as I gazed at Artemis. She gave me a small smile, ran a hand through her long red hair and then changed back into human-size form as she headed out with the girls. I had a feeling that my new position as a Hunt member was going to be getting a lot more complicated.


	10. Father Of The Hunt

**Father Of The Hunt**

**Artemis's POV**

Now, I tried time and time again to keep my distance from Percy, but every time I reminded myself to stay away some part of me kept telling me to go closer. Unfortunately, that part kept winning and I repeatedly found myself watching Percy from afar. I kept telling myself that I wasn't exactly stalking him, but who was I kidding? Of course I was. It just seemed so impossible to resist him as he laughed and played with the huntresses.

Surprisingly, they had become attached to him over the two weeks that he'd arrived. There were still the occasional pranks though. For instance, they put whip cream on his left hand and tickled his nose so he woke up looking like Santa Claus. It allowed them to still have their fun with him while not being cruel in the process.

They even volunteered to help him with his training whenever the girls weren't busy but that still gave me a slight feeling of remorse. Training was the one time Percy and I would be alone but neither of us mentioned that day where I had lost my 'lips virginity'. Yet there was that strong tension between us, as though there was a magnet pulling us, and forcing us to come together but we resisted to the best of our abilities.

Once in a while, one of us would go out of line. Like when I was helping him with his posture and bow position. My arms were wrapped around him, while my chin rested on his shoulder. When Elisabeth cleared her throat followed by giggling from Alex and Diana, we realized what we'd been doing and I jolted back as though shocked by lightning. (Ironic to say that when your father is the Lord of the Skies)

There was also the time I was demonstrating how to shoot a spear straight through a tree 150 meters away then Percy strolled by innocently whistling as he playfully smacked the side of my head. That got me off balance, and the spear whizzed right past the tree by a centimeter. I jerked my head towards Percy and glared at him. He grinned with his hands held up like a person accused of a crime. When my look intensified, he got the message and ran like a frightened deer, but he was too slow.

Soon enough, I had tackled him to the ground with my hands tightly wrapped around his wrists and my legs wrapped in his. It seemed like a game of twister… a very intimate form with our faces only an inch apart. To my dismay, the one to find us in this position was Apollo who suddenly appeared in a flash of light. I had forgotten that he was coming today to take some huntresses to aid with demigod training at Camp Half-Blood.

He was speechless for a moment, that's a first, then turned red in the face while holding his gut and trying to stay calm. As soon as Percy and I got off of each other, Apollo burst into loud obnoxious guffaws.

"O-oh m-my gods can't b-breathe!" He fell to the floor which gave me the perfect opportunity to smash his head into the ground with my foot.

"Can you breathe now?" I growled through clenched teeth. He stood up, spit some dirt out of his mouth, took deep sighs then smirked at me.

"_I'm sorry dear sister but seeing you like that, was quite the shock_

_So uncalled for, I can't help but mock!_

_Although you two do make quite a-"_

His rambling poem was silenced by a burst of water coming out of Percy's hand. Once he stopped choking on water, Apollo said, "Alright, alright. No more. I'm done. Just can't believe you guys would-" he went into another fit of giggles as the huntresses walked over.

"Apollo, must you really be here? What will it take for you to find out that no one wants you here?" He took a small pause before answering which meant he was about to start a poem, but Percy interjected.

"Hey, Sun God!" He called. We both turned around to find him standing in front of the huntresses, all in battle position. "Meet my little friends! Attack!" It was amusing that he said it in a terminator accent. The girls let out a cry as they all shot their arrows in his general direction, every one of them right on target, but Apollo realized what was happening and zapped himself away in the nick, although one managed to nail him right in the butt.

There was cheering in the back, and I realized that it was Percy who had shot the winning arrow for even he looked shocked as a victorious grin slowly appeared on his face and he cheered with them. I couldn't resist my urge as I ran to him and jumped into his arms. He held me tight and did the classical 'spin the girl in an embrace' act that actually felt very good. He put me down and we found out we were being watched my The Hunt. All of them had those same knowing smirks on their faces. Thalia just rolled her eyes as though she already knew there was something going on and was just waiting for us to make it public.

Percy ran a hand through his hair and sighed when I noticed my youngest huntress Casey; about seven years old walk over to him and pull on his shirt. He smiled at her and bent down to her height. She whispered something in his ear. At first he seemed surprised then touched. A small chuckle escaped his throat as he patted her head. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, my facial expression practically begging him to tell me what she had said. He walked over to me with a smile, leaned close to my ear, and whispered, "She said, you're like the mother of The Hunt, they're the children, and I'm… the father."


	11. The Moon And The Waves

**The Moon And The Waves**

**Artemis's POV**

Complete and utter shock overwhelmed my emotions as I stood there, words escaping me. Could my huntresses really believe that Percy is like a father to them now? Is that how close they've become to each other? If I were to allow myself to love, I would've jumped at the opportunity to marry him like a mother who had just found a man her children accept. Percy slowly leaned away from me and chuckled.

"Looks like someone's blushing for the first time." I realized that my cheeks did, in fact, feel extremely warm. This couldn't get any more embarrassing considering that blushing is strictly something I don't do.

"That's a really sweet thought, Casey. Thank you, but we all know that I'm too good for him." I joked with a smirk playing across my lips. The huntresses laughed as Percy watched me, amused.

"Too good for me huh? I'm pretty sure it's the other way around."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Mr. Sea God." He casually put an arm around my shoulder which surprised me. If it were any other man, I would've sliced his hand off.

"I may be Mr. Sea God, but who knows, maybe someday you'll be _Mrs._ Sea God." While forcing myself to escape his comfortable hold, I scoffed.

"Over my everlasting body."

"Well… you would have cute babies. I'm just saying." Thalia interjected. My mouth opened agape, I stared at her. It wasn't that the statement wasn't true, but a huntress wouldn't say anything so absurd. To my astonishment, the other girls nodded in agreement. It was extremely out of their character to play 'love game' with me.

"If only the world worked that way, Thalia. Sadly, your beloved Artemis has sworn to stay a virgin." He exclaimed with mock despair. I shoved him and smiled at my huntresses.

"Sorry girls but there never was, never can be, and never will be anything between me and this man over here. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to take a little nap." It was the perfect excuse to escape further embarrassment, and the only one I could think of. With that, I hurried off to let the words they had said sink in.

As I lay in my tent, I heard the flapping of soft wings outside my tent. It was unmistakably the sound of the God of Messengers making a run. Peeking his mischievous little face through the entrance, he shone his trademark sly smile. Sitting up in my bed, I ushered him in.

"Surprise seeing you here Hermes, need anything?"

"Not exactly, how's Percy holding up?"

"Better than I thought he would. Actually, he's doing swell with the huntresses now.

"Ah, so I've heard. There are even some rumors floating around Olympus about you two…" I narrowed my eyes at him in a death glare.

"Like what?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all. Besides, I'm here to inform you of a small duty Lord Zeus has assigned for you and a few others. Accepting it or not isn't exactly a choice."

"Alright, let me hear it."

**Percy's POV**

As soon as Artemis left, the girls burst into laughing and small little snickers, sharing whispers about how well their 'brilliant idea' was starting off. I turned to them and shook my head with a smile.

"You're all _so_ evil, can't believe you got me to play along and actually flirt with her."

"No worries Percy. It's for her own good if you ask me. We are determined to get you two together!" Thalia exclaimed.

"Look, I know that you girls really want to hook me up with her, but neither of us are really… up for a relationship right now. Besides, she'll _never_ be ready for one." Christy slapped my arm hard.

"You men are just too stupid for words." And with that blunt statement, they walked away, leaving me alone with just my thoughts. Could it really be possible that Artemis and I can end up together? No… there's no way! Besides, it's not like she would ever actually like me. She's a goddess, the daughter of Zeus, perfect in every way (in my eyes anyway) and not to mention that she's just too extraordinary for words…

I cut myself short so I wouldn't continue complimenting her. It'd be possible for me to go on all day, but everything else aside, my mind was finally starting to get this ridiculous idea that perhaps I was _in love_ with this woman. Actually, this thought had occurred to me before many times, but now it feels like more of a fact than an idea. Could I really be in love with the Goddess of the Moon? The mere thought sent my heart flying, soaring, and pounding within me.

Walking away, I strolled around the forest until I spotted a river. Following it, the roaring and thundering splash of water was getting closer and closer. Finally, I laid eyes upon a beautiful and spectacular sight, a waterfall. Pure, untouched, clear-blue water rushed down the moist bronze rocks.

Jumping into the water, I let it soak through my clothes, enjoying the refreshing and calming touch of it. Resting at the bottom of the floor, I heard the gentle sound of someone approaching. Seeing long, slender, white legs in the water, I slowly and quietly pull my head out from underneath, running my fingers through my wet hair causing it to spike up.

A breathtakingly beautiful sight greeted me. Artemis laid back on the palms of her hands upon the rocks, staring up into the sky. Her gorgeous auburn hair flowing over her shoulder with bangs in her face and silver eyes staring off as the sun caused her body to glow like a thousand full moons.

Going back under the water, I silently crept near her, wanting to jump out and scare her like I did last time, but her hand reached into the water and pulled me up by my hair. "Ow, that hurts!"

"The same trick doesn't work on me twice, for your information. And I was looking for you. I had a feeling you'd be here."

"Seems like you know me better day by day, what do you need me for?"

"Hermes arrived with an important message. Apparently, you and I have a mission to do with a few huntresses by our side. Father's become a little paranoid when hearing news from Athena that monsters are becoming more and more prominent throughout America. Basically, we have to wipe them out as fast as possible and find out why they're increasing so rapidly."

"That's a lot to take in all of a sudden. You think I'm ready to go on an actual mission with The Hunt?"

"It's a wild shot, but I believe you're ready enough. We'll let you take on the small ones since you're only a beginner." She said with a small laugh. Raising my eyebrow, I smirked at her.

"Oh really, could a beginner dunk their captain into the water?"

"Huh what do you-" Before she could finish, I suddenly grabbed her hands and pulled her in with me. "Percy!" She screamed coming back up, and spitting water. I stuck my tongue out at her and she tackled me back down.

As we wrestled underwater, I realized that strangely enough I've never had more fun with anyone than I do with Artemis. She just completes me in a sense. It feels as though she's pulling me towards her, as the moon does with the waves.


	12. Love And Fireworks

**Love And Fireworks**

**Artemis's POV**

"Alright, bye girls, take care and try not to kill the demigods." I said bidding them all a goodbye, wearing a white robe over my normal uniform, a volley of arrows packed and ready and my bow strapped to my back.

"No promises there Lady Artemis, but we'll try." Alex said grinning. I laughed and looked to the rest of the Huntresses. It was always difficult for me to part with them, but I know they are more than capable of handling themselves. The problem with leaving them alone is the chance that one of them might fall for a demigod, but they all seem to be very committed to the no-guys policy.

"Artemis, do we really have to leave _this _early?' drawled a sleepy Percy, rubbing his eye and crawling out from his tent. He had a white drawstring bag slung over his back, a blue, fitted V-neck, black shorts, and white Nikes.

"Yes you bum. And do you really plan on going into battle dressed like that? It seems more like you're going to a basketball game than to fight monsters."

"Hey, atleast I'll blend in. We can't go roaming around like we're from some Greek- costume- convention. Any enemy who sees you will be sure to know who you are."

"Do I look like an imbecile to you? I'll be in disguise as a twelve-year-old like I always am. And what makes you think they won't recognize you?" Looking him over again I noticed his hair was a complete, bed-head mess. It was cute but I didn't need him looking any more attractive and distracting me. Those were the main reasons why I wanted him to wear armor and perhaps a helmet instead. "Fix your hair; a bird will fly in it at any moment and make it a nest."

"I won't be recognized because I'm a new god that hasn't really met any land monsters and only battled sea ones by Poseidon's palace." He reached a hand up to his hair then looked at me smirking then cooed, "What's the magic word Lady Artemis?" I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"You can be so damn difficult. Normally I wouldn't listen to orders from someone else, you would have been dead. But since your hair is really getting on my nerves, _please_ fix your hair." I choked a bit on the word. It was as hard as saying sorry. Percy grinned victoriously and combed his hair with his fingers when Thalia, Christy, and Elisabeth walked out from the trees, the three huntresses I decided to take with us.

"Aw, their already bickering like a married couple." Elisabeth gushed to Christy who giggled. Giving them a warning glare I turned back to the girls who were holding in little laughs of their own.

"Anyhow, I'm sorry you all have to go there with Apollo, but as annoying as he can be, he will keep you safe." Right then, a bright light flashed in the sky and landed on the cliff side where we were standing then dimmed down into the shape of a golden bus with a sun imprinted on the side. Speak of the devil. Out popped a grinning Apollo, throwing off an imaginary hat.

"All aboard!" He called then jumped down and walked over to me. "Good mornin' sis, don't worry about the girls I'll take good care of them." Then leaning down close to me and nudging me he whispered, "And you'll take care of Percy now won't you?" With a scowl I flicked his forehead hard to hear a satisfying, "Ouch!" and walked away to the silver chariot. It shined in the light, a glint of sunlight reflecting off the golden horns of the four deer, saddled up in silver bridles. It always fills me with pride to see my beautiful chariot.

"You know the rules brother, no talking, touching, or even looking at my huntresses. You silently go to drop them off and be on your way to do whatever foolery you do. That being said let us depart." Thalia sat down in the seat next to me while Percy, Elisabeth, and Christy plopped down in the back. With a final wave to the girls, we were pulled off into the skies.

**Percy's POV**

After the first few minutes, I found myself asleep again. Normally I wasn't this tired but it wasn't easy to sleep with all the thoughts and questions regarding Artemis swirling around in my head. It felt like I was asleep for no more than two seconds when I felt a small but painful pinch on my arm and shot up awake.

"I told you pinching him would wake him up right away." Christy said while I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, yawning.

"I'm pretty sure slapping him would have worked too." Thalia said from the front. "But I don't think slapping a god would be a smart idea." Artemis turned back at me, looking like she was trying not to laugh.

"Hello there, sleeping beauty. You're not the easiest person to wake up. Screaming at you didn't work, and I don't even know why we tried water. But good you're awake; we're almost at our first stop in Chicago." I nodded then noticed that all of them were looking at me biting their lips and smiling.

"What? Is there something on my face?" The huntresses guffawed while Artemis shook her head and softly chuckled, handing me a mirror and a towel. I looked at myself in the mirror to see glasses painted around my eyes, cat whiskers, and a kitten nose as well as 'Seaweed Brain' written on my cheek in cursive.

"The girls wanted to make use of some of the paint we had left over from helping Athena remodel." She said as though it was a completely normal thing to do. I shook my head and wiped off the paint without complaint.

"Atleast you painted nothing dirty on my face like Grover did that one time."

"What did he-"

"Oh look we're here!" I interrupted Thalia before she could finish the question which I didn't plan on answering. The chariot came to a gentle stop at the roof of an apartment building and I jumped out before being questioned further. Walking over to the edge, I looked down and noticed we were in downtown Chicago.

Artemis appeared to my side as a twelve-year-old and jumped down to the ground in the alley with the others right behind her. They were all as silent as leaves, like stealthy, hunting ninjas. I on the other hand, just slid down a trail of water.

We walked for a long while, blending in with the people, but not completely. I would blame myself for that. As a god, you often forget how much your looks attract attention even with the help of the Mist making you look like an ordinary human. So it was kind of difficult to be undercover when a girl, and even gay men, walked up to me every few minutes and asked if I was single or for my number.

Eventually, it aggravated Artemis so much that she hid in an alleyway and appeared transformed into her older form, but dressed as any normal person would, checkered slip-ons, ripped skinny jeans, and a red flannel shirt. Too put it lightly, she looked stunningly gorgeous as always. When she came back out like this and started walking next to me a bit closer, I tried to hold in a snicker but failed.

"What's so funny?" She asked calmly, in her usual indifferent tone.

"Nothing… nothing at all."

"You can't just be laughing without a reason Percy."

"Ah, well just never took you as much of the jealous type, you know?" Christy and Elisabeth quietly laughed to themselves and Thalia turned back around giving Artemis a smug look. It was hard to see because she was suppressing it, but I could swear that Artemis was blushing.

"That's absurd. I simply don't want our cover to be blown by you. It has nothing to do with personal feelings whatsoever."

"Alright, whatever you say." She was about to say something when a guy waltzed up next to her, not a bad looking person either but he had a mischievous grin that made my quickly growing temper rise even faster.

Then, he casually threw his arm around her shoulder like he owned her and said, "Hey there babe, are you dating that pretty boy over there? I hope the answer is no because-" before he could finish I punched him square in the face, making him fly through the air into the glass window of a store. I honestly don't know where the anger came from because I'm normally not like that, but I just felt like I had to protect Artemis, even though out of all the women I know, she would be one that needed the least protecting. Besides, she looked like she was about to stab him with a knife and was actually reaching for it in her pant pocket, so it was better that I got to him before she did.

I had to grab Artemis's hand and push the huntresses onwards to keep them from murdering the guy, but as I looked back at the scene, I spotted a woman helping him up. They both looked at me, smiling slyly and I could have sworn their faces morphed slowly into that of Aphrodite and Hermes.

"Hey Percy," Thalia called throwing me out of my trance from staring at them. "I didn't know you were the jealous type either." She joked as Artemis laughed softly.

"Ha-ha very funny." I stuck my tongue out at her like the kid I can be sometimes then looked down realizing something. I was still holding Artemis's hand and she _wasn't_ moving away. It felt so right to me and sent my heart soaring. Hoping that she wouldn't notice, I didn't let go. Considering that she wasn't trying to get away meant she didn't notice or felt the same way. I liked to believe the second option though. Hey, who knows? Maybe one day I'll get the courage to tell her that I'm falling for her more and more each day… into what is probably… love.

**Artemis's POV**

"There's no way any monster would be here and not get caught with so many people around unless it could disguise as a human and control its hunger." Christy stated, brushing a strand of her shortly chopped, chestnut- colored hair out of her face. We had arrived at a place called Navy Pier. It was flooded with people walking about, taking pictures, boarding the tour ships to the right or eating at the many restaurants to the left. A giant Ferris wheel upstairs loomed over everything from where the amusement rides were, as well as an enormous glass building

"Indeed, I don't even know where to start from here."

"I know, let's start at Mc Donald's!" Percy exclaimed walking over to the giant M sign on the left before I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Look, I know you must be hungry but we take care of this first, then we eat. Now, as far as I know, the monster is a Basilisk, king of serpents, very venomous and kills with a glance if you look into his eyes."

"Oh, alright so to kill him we just have him look at his own reflection, like Medusa. The small mirror we have probably won't do a thing though." Elisabeth figured.

"Precisely, the only problem now is to find him."

"Hey Artemis," I looked over at Percy who seemed like he was pondering something. "How come we don't just search for the cause of all the monsters popping up? Meanwhile some demigods could take care of the beasts"

"Demigods are actually out killing majority of the monsters. Camp Half-Blood is probably almost empty by now with most of them gone. The Hunt probably joined them too. We just have to take a few of the creatures that are too much for them to handle. Normally a Basilisk wouldn't be a problem, but over the centuries it has become more cunning and knows to avoid things that obviously cast a reflection."

"Well then why don't we go upstairs?" Thalia suggested who was just walking back from the direction of the booth which sold tickets for the boats. "From there we can see the whole pier so it won't be hard to catch a giant beast roaming around." Taking her words, we walked up the stairs to the top deck then stood over the railing, staring down at all the people wandering about, watching street performers, and just having a good time. The girls soon left, deciding to spread out, leaving Percy and I alone. I looked down to our entwined fingers, I knew we were holding hands the whole time but I didn't want to let go.

Biting my lower lip I quickly jumped onto the railing, sliding my hand out of his, and sat there, overlooking the ocean. Don't get me wrong though, it's not that I don't like him… I surprisingly really enjoyed it. Actually, it felt like our hands were meant to be together. It was as though the spaces between my fingers were meant for his to be in.

The reason I actually let go was because it would make my feelings for him grow even more than they already had. I know that I can't let myself love someone, but it was still happening and there was nothing I could do about it, so it seems. And I'm positive that if Percy ever admitted that he somehow loves me, I wouldn't be able to hide the fact that I do as well.

All I could think of was burying my emotions so deep, locking them away so far down into my heart that they never cross my mind. I've been doing the technique ever since the day I met him, but now it was becoming a problem because the desire I have for him is growing stronger every second. And just the thought of being in a relationship… it scares me. There's the chance of heartbreak even though I know he would never do anything of the sort.

"What are you thinking about?" Percy said suddenly, throwing away my thoughts.

"Oh, just wondering where that creature might be." I lied. He leaned back to look at me.

"Not being able to find it must be bothering you a lot by the looks of it."

"Uh yeah, it is."

"Are you sure that's what-" He was interrupted by Thalia who had returned (at the right time I may add), pointing to the giant all-glass building behind us, the Crystal Gardens. Following her inside, I took a glance around.

It was a room full of plants and ponds, squirting out water, creating a pattern in midair. The afternoon sun streamed inside from the top upon the stone floors. Besides us, there were only two other people, an elderly couple sitting on a bench under a tree, but looking higher up into this tree I noticed the target of our mission wrapped around the trunk.

It wasn't a very attractive monster that was for sure, it had the body of a lizard, with the tail of a snake, and the head of a rooster with large, scaly wings. It hadn't noticed our presence yet since it was too preoccupied staring down at the oblivious couple, its next meal.

I realized Percy had disappeared from my side but when I looked back to the beast, Percy was there talking to the elders. He gently toke the hands of the two and lead them towards the door. "Yes, yes we're incredibly sorry," I heard him say, "but there seems to be a um… pest infestation here. You can come back as soon as we fumigate the place. Meanwhile, there's this nice fountain right outside the pier, go have a look."

"Well, alright young man but where exactly is- oh my lord, a snake!" The woman screamed, grabbing her husband's hand and pulling him out. Percy and I turned back around to see what they thought was a snake was the Basilisk slithering down the tree. Acting on reflex, I transformed to Hunter form and shot a volley of arrows at it, hitting the nape of his neck, but it had no effect besides making it angrier as it turned to me. Christy shot at it from where she stood on the giant metal bars that made an X on every window of the building, causing it to go towards her.

"Damn, I forgot. The only thing that can kill that thing is itself." I muttered to myself, glancing back at the scene. Now, Thalia, Christy, Elisabeth and Percy were each shooting at it from different angles, making it go after one, then the other as they scurried around, using the plants as cover. Percy was becoming a somewhat better shot. Some arrows were still nowhere near close to the objective though.

I spotted Thalia firing an arrow from behind a moss- covered plant when an idea hit me. "Thalia, keep his attention focused on you! When he gets close enough shine Aegis in his face!" Nodding at the order, she stayed where she was for a few seconds as the beast slithered to her at a rapid pace. When it was about twenty feet away, she tapped her charm bracelet causing her shield to come out.

She reflected the light from Aegis in its face, but by the very sight of Medusa's face he flew up into the air in fear, releasing a horrible screech. But he didn't get to catch sight of his own face because he spotted the shield for a second and looked away, avoiding it.

"Oh Gods the fact that Aegis is too frightening for him to look at for more than a measly second means that this won't work . We need a different approach…" With that thought, I swiftly jumped into the tallest tree and attacked the monster with arrows repeatedly as I leaped through the air from tree to tree to buy some time.

"Artemis, I have an idea!" Percy called from below, standing by the entrance, in between four circular cages that squirt water in different directions, creating a square around him. "Guide him over here!" Taking his advice, I landed behind Percy. The beast turned to us and landed onto the ground slithering in our direction. It was approaching us quickly… 10 feet away… 9… 8…7…6…

"Percy what are you waiting for?" By the time I said that, the Basilisk was baring its fangs and closing in the small distance left. At that moment, Percy raised his arms, water bursting out from all four of the cages and created a sort of water-made mirror shape in front of us. Percy positioned it in a way that when the Basilisk stopped to look at it, his face was shown to him like looking at yourself in a pond or lake. Instantly, it disintegrated into black ash then even that disappeared, seeping through the cracks in the stone.

"Wow Percy smart thinking." Elisabeth commented while walking towards Christy and holding out her hand.

"That it was. Looks like you win Elisabeth." Christy sighed, dropping a few golden drachmas into her hand. "Percy isn't as stupid as all other men." I laughed as I changed back into my disguise clothes in a flash of light.

"I don't know whether to feel happy or insulted…" Percy said as we walked back out. The sun was setting, casting a peaceful glow over the water.

"Let's go with the first option shall we?" Christy said innocently. We decided to spend more time here and watched a public magic show, played a few carnival games, and ate at Mc Donald's, and just played around in the fountain in front of the pier until around 8:40.

"Alright girls, should we leave now?" I suggested, rather exhausted.

"Lady Artemis, would you mind if Elisabeth, Christy and I went on a few rides first?" Thalia asked. I was about to object since we still had things to take care of and already had a long day but thought against it. They deserved a little free time, so I nodded and watched them run off.

"So…" Percy said awkwardly to fill in the silence that had been caused by the realization that we were left alone. "I think I have an idea of what we should do next."

**Percy's POV**

"What's this idea of yours?" Artemis asked curiously, following me back to where we started this day. Glancing to the right, I saw that we were just on time, the boat was being boarded.

"Oh, you'll see." I clenched the two tickets in my hand, remembering the short conversation I had with Thalia when we first arrived.

_She had just walked back from the ticket booth. Sliding past me to Artemis's side, she slipped two tickets into my hand. 'Well then, why don't we go upstairs? From there we can see the whole pier so it won't be hard to catch a giant beast roaming around.' Artemis followed her advice and as we were walking, Thalia and I drifted behind the other three._

_'What's this for?' I questioned, holding out the tickets._

_'They have a fireworks cruise today at 8:45. I suggest you go with you-know who.'_

_'Why? I mean, it's not that I don't want to, but I don't think she wants to be alone with me.'_

_'Trust me, she likes spending time with you. Everyone can tell by the way her personality changes and her face lightens up when you two are together. She hides it, but like I said, the Hunt knows her better than she knows herself.' I grinned at what she had told me, hoping it were true._

_'No way, she really likes being with me?'_

_'No doubt in my mind. I recommend you tell her how you feel though.'_

_'And how do you think I feel about her?'_

_'Obviously in love with her, a blind person can see that.' I couldn't argue with her reasoning and decided that I might as well go along with it. Even though I was scared of what her reaction might be, it's better now than never right?_

So here I am, trailing behind Artemis, covering her eyes and leading her onto the large ship, filled with other tourists and couples. The vessel rocked a bit back and forth with the waves of Lake Michigan.

"We're on a boat aren't we? I don't believe your father will appreciate a daughter of Zeus being on his turf." I took my hand away from her eyes and we stood together on the deck, leaning on the edge of the front of the ship.

"If your dad approved of me being in the skies with you when we were flying over here, I don't think mine would have a problem with you here as long as you're with me." She couldn't argue with my reasoning. We shared a long conversation about the other gods, laughed, joked, and just enjoyed each other's company for what seemed like a long time until Artemis finally asked the question I had been expecting.

"So, why are we here? And where is this boat taking us exactly?"

"_Here it is everyone," _The intercom blared, "_the moment you've all been waiting for!" _We had stopped in the middle of the lake, facing towards the city with the pier and a few other islands surrounding us. Instead of answering her question, I gently took her hand in mine, the warmth I felt from the simple touch spreading through me, and took her to the front of the ship with the best view.

A loud crack was heard in the air and out popped a beautiful, large neon blue firework, one after the other each just as magnificent as the next. I looked to my side to see Artemis's silver eyes glowing in the light, her smile the most spectacular sight I will ever see in my life. "Artemis," I whispered to her and she turned to face me, her eyes and gorgeous smile burning holes into my heart.

"Yes Percy?" She didn't say this in a wary tone, but much rather an anticipating one.

"I... I love you." I forced the words out then held her face in my hands and pulled her in for a sweet, gentle kiss, the fireworks exploding behind us. At first, she was stiff and I was scared she might pull away and slap me but eventually, she relaxed, stood on her toes, and wrapped her arms around my neck, deepening the kiss. Pulling away after what seemed like an eternity, I couldn't help but grin. "I don't know if you feel the same way about me, but I promise you, I swear on the River Styx, that I will never break your heart or do anything to hurt you so please-"

"Percy…" she said cutting me off and softly placing a hand on my cheek. "I love you too. I really can't fight the fact anymore." She beamed an angelic grin at me and we shared another kiss.


End file.
